Effects of environmental heterogeneity on the population dynamics of a threatened bird endemic to subtropical salt marshes

• Grant number: 23/09718-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: January 03, 2024
• End date: April 02, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Marcos Ricardo Bornschein
• Grantee: Giovanna Sandretti da Silva
• Supervisor: Marcio Roberto Pie
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB-CLP). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus Experimental do Litoral Paulista. São Vicente , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Edge Hill University (EHU), England
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/04847-7 - Environmental variations and possible learning in renesting influencing the productivity of a bird from salt marshes of the Atlantic Forest Biome, BP.MS

Abstract

The population dynamics of a given species is determined by its birth and death rates, which themselves can be influenced by external factors, such as climatic conditions and habitat characteristics. In salt marshes, tidal variations and simplified vegetation structure are factors that contribute to population dynamics. The objective of this study is to understand the influence of environmental heterogeneity on offspring productivity, mortality, and population dynamics in salt marshes using Formicivora acutirostris as a model system. This species is a small insectivorous bird that inhabits salt marshes in the Atlantic Forest and lives in pairs that defend their territory throughout the year. Predictor variables will include temperature, precipitation, tidal heights, as well as territory-related variables such as altitude, perimeter-to-area ratio, and vegetation composition. The study area is the Guaratuba Bay, located on the south coast of Paraná, southern Brazil. Biotic data in each territory have been collected since 2006. Climatic data was obtained from the System of Technology and Environmental Monitoring of Paraná (SIMEPAR). Tidal heights was provided by the Brazilian Navy Hydrographic Center. Altitude data was obtained using Real Time Kinematic technique. The vegetation analysis will be conducted using satellite image time series available in Google Earth Pro. The analyses will be performed using Generalized Linear Mixed Models. (AU)